About Us

A brief history of the theater:

Our founder, Justin, graduated from Tippecanoe High School in Tipp City and attended Wittenberg University in Springfield Ohio. Wittenberg provided Justin with his first exposure to improv and he was hooked. After completing his Communication degree, he couldn’t shake the desire to make stuff up for a living. After moving to Chicago and finding out that it’s nearly impossible to make a living at, Justin moved back to Dayton eager to bring his knowledge of the art to the area and started The Black Box Improv Theater in July of 2012.

Justin has performed, studied and taught improv in Chicago and New York City and performs each week at his theater. The theater is more than just a place for Justin to flex his comedic muscle as over 300 Daytonians have already studied at the theater and many of them currently perform in weekend shows.

The Black Box Improv Theater continues to grow in both size and notoriety. Justin spends most weeks using improvisation to train both local and national companies. The Black Box has teamed up with long time Second City musical great, Trey Stone, to provide shows that push the boundaries of what many couldn’t imagine locally trained comedians can do.

What you can expect:

All improv, all the time. We work very hard to put on shows that may seem scripted, but it’s not. We try to create a fun atmosphere where you can feel relaxed and so can we. Come give it a try, you might find a hidden gem in the city.